She woke with a start, drenched with sweat and
screaming. Her fatigues, soaked through, stuck
uncomfortably to her skin. 'Oh god,' she thought,'I'm
still here. It was just a dream.' The blazing tropical sun
burned in through the flap of her tent, and outside the
camp buzzed with activity. She straightened her clothes
and staggered outside. A helicopter had just landed, and
the prisoners inside were being herded into the hotboxes
at the edge of camp. She tried not to look at
them.'They're not people, they're animals. They're not
people, they're animals.' She ran the litany over and over
in her mind, as if that would somehow help. Somehow
justify the monster she'd become.

The mess tent was almost empty. She sat in a corner and
picked at her food. Her appetite had disappeared weeks
ago, and the thought of going on shift soon did nothing to
change that.'They're
not people...they're animals.'

She stepped into the surgery, and realized she was
late. The prisoner was already strapped down. Doctor
Halverson was arranging his tools, almost ready to begin.
'You're late again Miller' said a voice at her
side.
She turned to look at him. Lieutenant Haight stood there,
his black uniform without insignia, his pale face in stark
contrast to the jungle tans of everyone else in the camp.
'This is becoming a pattern, yes?' His voice was
harsh and cold. 'This is the third time in a week. Once
more and you will be disciplined. Is that understood?'
Nurse Miller shuddered. 'Yes sir.' She replied. Haight
crossed over to the prisoner, and whispered to him
in Vietnamese. The man began to scream...

She closed her eyes and tried to block it out. Block out the
screams. Block out the horrible sound of Haight's voice.

'Miller! Revive him!' Dr Halverson's voice roused her from
her brief reverie. 'Yes sir' she replied. 'Ammonia' she
thought. 'That usually works...the first time.' She cracked
the capsule under his nose, and the screaming started again.
'They're...not...people. They're animals...'

She woke with a start, drenched with sweat and
screaming. Hands on her shoulders were shaking her. 'Miller!
Miller wake up!' It was Terry, the look of concern on her
face at once comforting and unsettling. 'Are you okay? I
didn't mean to startle you. It's just that your break was
over ten minutes ago and you're late for surgery. Dr Forbes
is already scrubbed and waiting.' 'I...I'm sorry Terry. I
fell asleep and had the most horrible dream. Oh god...'
'I'll be ok.' She quickly straightened her uniform and ran
out of the lounge.

As she entered the surgery, they all turned to look at her.
'Sorry I'm late. I fell alseep' she said. 'Well, let's stop
wasting
time and get on with it, shall we?' replied Dr Forbes.
'Yes lets'
hissed a voice in her ear. 'Haight!' she gasped, but when
she turned to look there was noone there. 'Oh my God.
I'm going crazy' she thought. 'Scalpel' said Dr. Forbes. As
she handed it to him she could feel the hot jungle breeze
blow across the back of her neck.

Five hours later, slumped over on the bench in front of her
locker, she could barely muster the strength to tie her
shoes. The surgery had been a nightmare. 'I can't believe
that kid died...why? Why?' she thought. 'Nobody fucking dies
getting their appendix out!' The sound of boot-heels against
the tile floor startled her, and she turned to see a shadowy
figure standing in the doorway.
'What do you care if they die?'
it hissed.
'They're not people, they're animals.
Right?' 'At least he lived long enough to tell us what we
wanted to know...'
'What the hell are you talking about!?!' she yelled, but
there was noone there to hear her. He'd disappeared again.
'What the hell is happening to me...?'

She stumbled slowly out the door of the hospital, heading
for the bus stop, waving half-heartedly at the people who
called out to her. 'Goodnight Miller.' 'Yeah right' she
thought. 'Good for who?' The screech of tires as she stepped
into the street snapped her back to alertness but it was too
late. As though in slow motion she watched the car slam into
her and saw the world spin sickeningly as she flew through
the air. As she lay crumpled and broken in the street the
last thing she saw was the taillights disappearing into the
darkness.

Agonizing pain. An excited babble of voices all around her.
A
brilliant white light, blinding her. Then another voice,
closer, louder. 'Damn it! We're losing her!' 'No!' she
thought. 'I don't want to die yet!' But she couldn't speak,
couldn't move. Then a long steady tone from the monitor
and a
female voice next to her said 'She's gone.' As everything
went
black she could hear the faint sound of helicopters and the
buzz of jungle insects.

She opened her eyes but could see nothing. She lay upon
somethng soft, and she realized she was covered by a cloth
sheet. Pulling it away from her face she looked around and
could see no further than a few meters in any direction.
Sitting up, she stepped off
the bed onto a cold, hard surface. 'Where the hell am I?'
The
hospital bed she awoke on sat alone in what appeared to be a
huge room, but she could make out no walls or ceiling. Only
the cold grey floor stretching off into the darkness. 'Amy.'
said a voice behind her. She spun around and saw a bright
light in the distance. 'Amy, come into the light.' The voice
sounded so familiar. As she approached the light she saw the
vague outline of a figure standing within it. 'Amy, you're
safe now. Come into the light.' 'Dad?' she yelled. 'Oh my god
DAD!' And she ran towards him. The smiling figure of her
father, dead now ten years, opened his arms wide to hug her.
She threw her arms around him and in a cold, hissing voice he
said 'Welcome sinner. I have waited long for this moment,
and have prepared a special place just for you.'

She woke with a start, drenched with sweat and screaming. She
gagged on the harsh scent of the broken ammonia capsule being
waved under her nose. Opening her eyes she saw a masked face
bent close to hers and a female voice said 'She's awake sir.'
Then a cold cruel voice from the shadows 'Excellent.
Now it begins.' Looking around she saw the familiar
confines of the interrogation tent, and in the shadows to one
side the tall, gaunt figure of Lt. Haight. She struggled to
move, but the leather straps held her fast, biting into her
skin. The air in the tent was stifling and hot, and she could
hear a helicopter landing outside.
Haight approached
slowly, a glittering scalpel in his pale hand. 'Welcome
to eternity my dear.' As the scalpel slowly parted her
flesh she began to scream...